Cheong Wa Dae: "No Mention of North Korean Human Rights Issues in Meetings with US Secretary of State and Defense"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] On the afternoon of the 18th, the Blue House announced that there was no mention of North Korean human rights issues during President Moon Jae-in's meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

Blue House spokesperson Kang Min-seok stated that "there was no mention of North Korean human rights issues during the meeting with the U.S. Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense."

On that day, President Moon met with Secretaries Blinken and Austin to discuss key mutual interests between the two countries. President Moon emphasized the need for South Korea and the U.S. to develop a joint comprehensive strategy toward North Korea and expressed his intention to work toward restoring South Korea-Japan relations.

Earlier, Secretary Blinken had pointed out North Korean human rights issues during a joint press conference held immediately after the South Korea-U.S. Foreign and Defense Ministers (2+2) meeting, emphasizing that "North Korean people are suffering widespread and systematic human rights abuses under an oppressive regime." However, it appears that North Korean human rights issues were not discussed during the meeting that day.

However, the Blue House's position is that South Korea and the U.S. share an interest in North Korean human rights. A senior Blue House official said, "South Korea and the U.S. share an interest in North Korean human rights, and our government's position is firm. However, since there are many issues that need to be resolved first, the stance is that the human rights of North Korean residents can be practically improved in the process of establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula."

It is also reported that the unofficial security consultative body 'Quad Plus' was not mentioned during the meeting. A senior Blue House official responded, "There was no direct discussion about Quad Plus."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.